v. Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 clǽman, [2 iclemen], 4–5 cleme, (4 clemme). Mod. dial. 8–9 cleam, clame, claim, clem. [OE. clǽman, corresp. to MDu. kleemen, clêmen, OHG. chleimen, ON. kleima, to daub, plaster, fashion in clay:—OTeut. *klaimjan, f. klaimo-, in OE. clám ‘cloam,’ potter’s clay, mud. (OE. had also the comp. ʓeclǽman, in early ME. iclêmen.) Supplanted in southern use in 14–15th c. by CLAM. But cleam is retained in some Yorksh. dial., and the clame, claim, of adjacent dialects, are apparently archaic pronunciations of cleam.]
1. trans. To smear, anoint, bedaub, plaster; to rub, or daub (sticky matter) on, or (a place) with sticky matter.
[a. 1000. Thorpe’s Hom., I. 20. Geclæm ealle ða seamas mid tyrwan.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 225. Iclem hall þ[e] seames mid tirwan.]
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xxviii. (Z.), 165. Lino, ic clæme.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 110. Clæm on ðone cancer, ne do nan wæter to.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 312. Make to þe a mancioun … þenne clemme hit with clay comly withinne.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 93. Crist clemed [v.r. clammyde] cley on his eyen.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., III. 125. Cleme uppon the wounde oxe dounge aboute.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., iii. 50. The Cream of Milk, which may be clamed or spread as Butter.
1788. W. Marshall, E. Yorksh. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Clame, to daub … to spread unctuous matter; as salve on a plaster, butter on bread.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Clame, to spread or smear on a surface, as lime … or butter.
1877. Holderness Gloss. (E. D. S.), Claim.
1883. Huddersfield Gloss. (E. D. S.), s.v. Cleam … ‘Cleam me a buttershaave,’ spread me a slice of bread and butter.
1884. Cheshire Gloss., Clamme or clame.
b. intr. To adhere, stick to.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (1856), 107. If they should ramme it [a clay floor] presently it would cleame to the beater.
2. trans. To agglutinate, cause to stick, clag with glutinous matter; to stick up, together, etc.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xliii. 27 [xliv. 25]. Clemyd is in erthe oure wambe.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. lxvi. (1495), 185. Of clemyng of humour that is there. Ibid., XIX. lxxiii. 903. Butter is kyndely hote: clemynge and fatte.
1674. Ray, N. Country Wds., 10. To Cleam … in Lincolnshire … to glue together, to fasten with glue.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Clamm … in some provinces to cleam [1818 Todd (adds) written also sometimes clem], to clog with any glutinous matter.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., To clame, to stick, to cause to adhere, as paper against a wall; clamed up, advertised or posted.
1883. Huddersfield Gloss. (E. D. S.), Cleam … ‘the wind was so strong that it cleam’d me to the wall.’
Cleam(e, obs. f. CLAIM.
